


Homecoming

by SilveryBeing



Category: Guild Wars, Guild Wars 2
Genre: Asura - Freeform, Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-23
Updated: 2013-06-23
Packaged: 2017-12-15 22:17:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/854620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilveryBeing/pseuds/SilveryBeing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jyrra returns to Rata Sum to find things aren’t the way she left them. (semi-sequel to Oranges at Market)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Homecoming

Sanna was trying her damnedest to not look aggravated, though Alchemy knew how long she could keep the grin plastered on her face.

 

"And then he had the nerve to assign me to meet with the human! Me! It was an insult! Those bookah are dumber than the charr, I swear. Did you know that not one member of that race-"

 

Sanna found the end of her patience. "Sir, my own concerns take up enough of my time, I can not be bothered with obsessing over the capabilities of others, let alone other races. Now please, we are closed. You have to leave." She pushed his wrapped package across the counter to make her point.

 

The white haired asura opened his mouth to protest but then thought better of what he was going to say. "Yes, I suppose it is late and I should be getting these back to the lab." He snatched the package before marching briskly out of the shop.

 

Sanna followed him out and did not breathe a sigh of relief until she set electro-security bars. Finally, she could close up shop.

 

Her little corner of Rata Sum was not much to boast about, nothing like some of the larger shops certainly. A few shelves and a couple glass cases made up her livelihood. But she saw plenty of business from krewes and students wanting artificing products that fit their smaller budget. It might not be as glamorous as running her own lab but it was still respectable and should have let her live comfortably.

 

Once she was done tidying up she took the cash box under her arms and went up the back stairs to her apartment. If the shop was nothing to boast about then the attached apartment was nothing to be proud of. Small, there was only a workdesk in the corner of the kitchen, a small bathing room, and then her bedroom. The only consolation was a window looking out over the vista of Metrica Province, though right now there was nothing to see but stars. Cramped it may have been, Sanna at least kept it clean. She had been drilled all her life on the importance of a neat and clean lab and she supposed that it applied to apartments too.

 

She ignored her worktable for the moment, where bowls of dust and scepter cores were laid out in a row, and instead dropped the cash box on the kitchen table. That's when she saw the piece of paper she had left there that morning. "You haven't vanished like I asked you to." She groaned as she sat down and picked it up to read again. It was exactly the same as it was this morning, the same as the night before when she received it.

 

"I can't deal with this right now." She set it face down on the table as she started to count out the day's profits. Maybe she made more than she realized. That would certainly help.

 

The coins clicked together as she counted, pausing only long enough to fill in her log. She took a long breath when she saw that her daily profit was less than impressive. Adequate, but not impressive.

 

And Sanna needed impressive.

 

Her nails drew circles over the tabletop as her mind raced. What could she do? She had a few personal belongings that she could part with, but would that be enough-

 

A breeze on her back broke her concentration. She looked wildly around for its source and settled on the window. A warm nightly wind was stirring the curtains. But she could have sworn that it had been closed when she came upstairs. Was the latch broken? That was the last thing she needed.

 

She got up to investigate. The latch seemed fine and there was no other noticeable problems. Maybe she had forgotten the lock it earlier in the day. Figuring that might have been the case, what with everything on her mind now, she closed the window and drew the curtains.

 

She turned to go back to her bookkeeping when she shrieked and jumped back in fright.

 

Someone else was there, lounging sideways in her chair!

 

“Sanna please, you'll wake the neighbors.” The intruder said boredly.

 

It took Sanna an extra second to realize who had broken into her home. It was a female asura of about Sanna's age but a tad taller. Light skinned, but with black markings around her eyes, long black ears, black hair tied in buns with black ribbons, black clothes, even black eyes. Black, black, black. “ _Jyrra_?”

 

“The one and only.” The girl grinned, rudely showing her teeth.

 

Sanna stood there stunned. “What are you- Why have- Where- You left the window open.” She stammered out.

 

Jyrra looked unimpressed. “You never liked me dropping by unannounced.” She said, nodding to the window. “Next time I won't be so accommodating.”

 

The aeromage growled internally in frustration. “I meant for you to use the door like normal people.”

 

Jyrra shrugged airily. “Where is the fun in that?”

 

Sanna felt her eye twitch and walked back over to the table, pulling the cash box away from her unexpected visitor. “I don't have time for this.”

 

Jyrra had the nerve to look offended. “I thought you'd be happy to see me.”

 

“I am, I guess.” Sanna said as ran her fingers through her pink hair. “But you've been gone for a long time and I don't have the patience to deal with your 'too cool for school' attitude right now.”

 

Jyrra sat up a little straighter but was still lounging sideways in the chair. “Geeze, what happened to you? You lost your sense of humor.”

 

“Maybe if you kept in contact you would have known. A letter or a visit or something! I needed to talk to you so many times but I had no way to reach you.” Sanna snapped angrier than she meant. “I started to think you didn't care about us anymore.”

 

“My dear cousin, you wound me. You know how much I love my family.”

 

Sanna reached over the table to slam her log book closed and glared. “You have a funny way of showing it.”

 

“Fine, I see how it is. I come home and you have turned into a stick in the mud. You used to be _fun_.”

 

“Fun is a luxury I haven't been able to afford in years, unlike _some_ people.” She hissed accusingly. “I had to live in the real world. That requires sacrifice, not running off and doing whatever you want.”

 

Jyrra was about to respond when her eyes caught a slip of paper on the table. She forgot the argument when she picked it up to read it better.

 

Sanna bristled. “Put that down!”

 

Her cousin didn't seem to hear her. “So it's like this then.” She said quietly. “And your little shop I saw isn't enough is it?”

 

Sanna stood up straighter in an awkward attempt to put on a show of dignity. “It has kept us afloat so far. I'll just have to figure something out, I always do.”

 

Jyrra read the paper again. “Look, I can give you-”

 

“I don't want it.”

 

“Don't let your pride-”

 

“It's not about pride _cousin_.” Sanna pointed accusingly at her. “Don't think me stupid, I know those daggers of yours aren't for cutting your supper. Gold made from someone else's blood is gold I don't want. I don't want anyone to get hurt, if I didn't care about that I would have joined the Inquest. They would certainly _pay_ me more.”

 

Jyrra snorted. “I resent that comparison. Despite what you might think of me, I do take legitimate jobs out in the world, they do exist.”

 

Sanna waved that off. “As legitimate as your Statics graduation, or is blackmailing the dean standard practice there now?”

 

Jyrra finally got to her feet and threw her hands up in defeat. “I don't have to take this. I just wanted to stop in and say hi, not get attacked. You changed girl, that much is clear.”

 

Sanna huffed but stayed at her place with her cash box and log book, her nails digging into the leather bindings. She didn't see or hear Jyrra leave. All she felt was the warm breeze from the window. And then it was gone as it was closed.

 

Sanna sat heavily down at the table, resting her forehead in her hand. She opened the log book again but found herself unable to concentrate. _'How could she do this? Just show up and expect everything to be exactly the same?'_ What happened to them? They were like sisters as progeny. Jyrra had always been there for her during the low points. But now they were like strangers. Had she really change that much? Well, if she did it was because she had too. Jyrra might have been able to run off into the blue to make her fortune and live her dreams, but Sanna couldn't. A surge of jealousy welled up in her heart.

 

She saw the her cousin had left the paper on the table. She looked over it yet again. She thought back to Jyrra’s offer. She didn't want to take it. But the stance she held only a few minutes before was crumbling. Did she really have a choice? Either take it or don't, which would cause her to lose less sleep at night?

 

No answer came to her so she crumpled the paper instead.

 

\---------------------------------------------------

 

Jyrra kicked a can down the street. The tin can bounced angrily against the stones, matching her own mood.

 

Just what had gotten into Sanna? Just a few years ago she would have welcomed her cousin back with open arms, not treat her like she was a bad guy. Well, maybe she was a bad guy, a little bit. But not like that! She had to go off and live her own life, that was not something to apologize for.

 

She flexed her wrists, feeling rather than hearing the hidden blades and hooks slide in and out. She had her pistols and daggers on her hips, but these were her real weapons and she was feeling an itch to use them.

 

No, she shouldn't do that, even if no one would mourn an Inquest corpse cooling in a dark alley. She was home now, she couldn't do whatever she wanted. Especially if she didn't want Sanna to be right.

 

So instead she just kept walking. It was still late at night and the streets were deserted. Even the normal cafes and bars were closed. She almost turned down the ramp to the lowest level of Rata Sum. The level they never showed visitors and no one admitted to visiting. She could get herself a drink, watch a fight, and maybe pay a cute boy for the night. At least she could give herself a proper homecoming if no one else was.

 

But something stopped her. The paper on Sanna's table flashed through her mind and that made her pause. It was for a lot, that would be pretty stressful. But how often did that sort of thing come up? Maybe she should have set some gold aside. No skin off Jyrra's ears if her dear cousin couldn't think ahead.

 

But that line of thinking didn't feel right. Sanna was always the one that was prepared or thought ahead. How many times had the two stayed out of trouble because Sanna thought of something Jyrra didn't? Jyrra was the one who always ran off ahead leaving Sanna to pull her back out of danger. So it really wasn't like her cousin to be unprepared.

 

That's when she realized where she was. The bank. The Crystal Bank of Rata Sum was not that far at all. She could find out how often this sort of thing came up and if Sanna was smart enough to save up her gold. It might have been an invasion of privacy, but if she never brought it up ever then there was no problem. And besides, she still needed a proper homecoming and breaking into the bank sounded like a fun way to do it.

 

Jyrra's Statics background kicked into high gear. She knew every street and every building in Rata Sum, having been forced to memorize for her classes. Others would use this information for zoning and building, but Jyrra used her mental blueprints for entirely different purposes.

 

She knew she couldn't get into the bank through the building itself, she would have to take a long way. She cut down a side street and started counting doors as she raced past.

 

“Four...six...eight...ten...stop.” She skidded to a stop before the eleventh door. It looked like a very normal average residence. There was probably family in there, a husband and wife and two or three progeny all safe and asleep and completely unaware of the secrets their house held.

 

Instead of going to the door, she pulled the grating off the crawlspace in the front and squeezed in. She had discovered this little secret when studying old blueprints and wisely never told anyone. And no one ever asked Statics students why they wanted blueprints, ancient or otherwise.

 

She crawled in the dirt, ignoring the evidence of rats, until she found a trap door. The hinges were reversed just like she remembered and she had to push down to open it.

 

The trapdoor led to a huge empty lab. By the dust and cobwebs it had been unused and forgotten for years. It might have been the lair of some paranoid genius who died never telling anyone or a leftover from the building that stood here before the housing development came in. Either way it was dark and quiet.

 

Jyrra cracked open a lighting crystal and set it in one of her bracers, allowing her adequate light while leaving her hands free. She would just have to pull down her sleeve in case this secret was not as secret as she expected.

 

She picked her way over junk to the far wall and tapped on it, listening for the hollow sound. When she found it she gave the wall a push and a secret door opened. Beyond was a dirt path.

 

Jyrra grinned as she closed the door behind her and ran down it. It was not a simple straight path though. It ran under the streets and houses of Rata Sum and followed a bizarre course. Occasionally it met up with a basement lab only to continue from another wall. Most of these labs were empty, but some were occupied and Jyrra would have to wait until the owner was engrossed with their work to sneak by. She never had to wait long.

 

The pathways were clearly not intended to connect the city in this way. Individual lab owners probably built them to meet with colleagues in secret or to have a faster path to their supplier only to board them up and never tell anyone when they left, leaving it all to be forgotten until Jyrra started to connect the dots. The Peacemakers would have filled these in a long time ago otherwise.

 

How many hours had Jyrra spent down here while in college? Countless to be certain. Just running between the levels of the city, discovering secret labs and hidden entrances at every turn. What a thrill that was. Who would not want the ability to go anywhere at any time and be the only one able to do so? Was that not why teleportation was invented? But this was better. It was a sneaky, shadowy type of better.

 

Jyrra was still on that mental high when she came to the last stop of her route. A lab space that she knew butted right up against the lower levels of the Crystal Bank. This one most likely belonged to the bank director and was probably still in use. So she had to be careful. Everyone must have been in bed, but there were probably traps here. She took one look around the lab, stuffed full of golem parts, and planned her method of attack.

 

The floor was the most likely place to have traps, especially near the secret door. So she instead climbed up onto the crates of golem arms and jumped from container to container, pausing every second to listen for the sound of gears turning or springs being sprung. But her long ears never picked up on anything.

 

She balanced precariously on the head of a half built golem as she reached for the wall. She sprung her hidden blade to give her more reach. She poked the edge against a brick, then the one under it, and then the one of the left. And the door opened.

 

She jumped through and rolled to a stop. She held a breath as the door closed behind her. “Finally.” She said to herself, she was in.

 

She was now in the lowest level of the Crystal Bank and this was the most dangerous part of her journey. And the most exhilarating.

 

Most people, asura and otherwise, thought that the vaults of the bank were guarded by golems. But if one thought about it, that was a stupid idea. Golems could be reprogrammed, short circuited, go berserk. And live guards could be bribed, sleep on the job, or greed could get to them.

 

No. For the Crystal Bank there was only one obvious solution to guarding gold.

 

Jyrra heard them before they saw her. Using the hook on her blade she jumped up and caught the ventilation gate. She pushed it open and crawled in, closing it tightly behind her. And a good thing too. Because right under her stalked a pair of skelks and a minotaur.

 

Jyrra held her breath. Animals, specially bred and trained, patrolled the halls. There would be an asura handler or two always on duty, but it was these creatures that guarded the gold. They could not be bribed or reprogrammed. And they were dangerous when crossed, as many unprepared thieves found out.

 

The minotaur sniffed the air a moment and Jyrra fully expecting it to start bellowing an alarm. Rather than wait for that to happen, she fished around in one of her pockets and pulled out a small flat circular tin. Popping the lid off revealed some fine silver dust. She held it up by the ventilation grate and gave it a short puff.

 

The powder settled on the minotaur’s face and worked immediately. It gave a slight sneeze as the dust worked it’s way into its nose. The fine dust particles would settle in it’s olfactory receptors, completely overriding the previous scent that was there, leaving the beast smelling nothing. The minotaur circled in confusion, not understanding how or why it had lost the scent. It only lingered for a little while longer before giving up and lumbering on ahead to catch up with its skelk partners.

 

Jyrra did not breathe a sigh of relief until they were long gone. Now if that had been one of the wolves or griffons or anything else with a better sense of smell then she would not have had the time to use the tin before they interpreted her scent. But if she didn’t get a move on she might have to test that theory. Even though the hall under her was clear, she did not climb down from the vent but instead turned around to crawl in deeper.

 

Closer to the gold vaults there would be crystal sensors in the shafts to detect movement. Luckily she was not going for the vaults. She took a turn and headed to a much more lightly guarded area of the bank.

 

The records room, where every asura and krewe had their account information stored. Most of this was available in terminals, but the physical paper products were stored here was well, with multiple off site locations for back up. The Crystal Bank took its gold seriously.

 

Jyrra opened the vent and dropped down. The room was dry and a little cool, the temperature strictly controlled to keep the paper from degrading, and every thing was locked up in norn high fireproof cabinets. The patent office could learn a thing or two from here.

 

With her lighting crystal, Jyrra walked carefully among the cabinets. She just had to find right one. She thought briefly to the human custom of last names and thought that it would make this easier.

 

But she had a good idea of where to look. The bank labeled the cabinets in this area by residential district and she knew where her cousin lived.

 

She finally found the right cabinet and her lock picks made short work of the lock. She ran her fingers over the folders until she found the right one.

 

“Aeromage Sanna, here we are.” She had a moment's hesitation. Maybe she shouldn't do this. Sanna would never forgive her if she found out. But the thief snorted and brushed that idea away. She just wouldn't tell her. That's how she operated. It was okay as long as you didn't get caught.

 

She settled herself on the floor with her lighting crystal and started to flip through the folder. It was all there. Deposits, withdrawals, savings, rent payments, purchases, loan denials. Jyrra even found her name listed down as a co-signer from before she left Rata Sum. She pulled one out and looked at it. It was a hire sheet that she helped Sanna out on. “Geeze, that should have been enough.” She huffed as she put it back.

 

She kept reading and started to notice a pattern. Even with her shop Sanna was barely able to keep herself above water. Every copper she put in savings was almost immediately taken out again. She was denied loans and extensions despite just barely getting her payments in on time. Jyrra felt guilt in her chest when she saw that her cousin had seen a doctor over stress and depression related complications, another payment she really didn't need. And to think Jyrra acted hurt over a small argument like a spoiled progeny.

 

Sanna was right. Things had changed and if she had kept in contact she would have known all about it, rather than leaving her cousin to flounder all alone. A lot of her work was hush hush but she could have had an address for her cousin to send letters too. She would have gladly read them, it would have been better than for Sanna to bottle this all up. She would have even sent some gold to help her out. It wasn't like she was lacking in it.

 

Jyrra started to put the folder away. She now knew what she had to do. And no matter what Sanna said about it she was going to do it.

 

\------------------------------------------------------

 

Sanna adjusted the weight of the pack on her back as she moved through the crowd on Rata Sum's top level. The meeting with Jyrra the night before had given her a fitful sleep. She even had the crazy idea of trying to get in touch with Tarnn. But she did not want to have to explain everything that was going on to the Protector so she stayed alone with her thoughts all night.

 

But daylight came, as it always did, and Sanna had to move on. She had a shop to open and run, orders to fill, and a certain someone to see during her lunch hour.

 

That was what she was doing now. Her pack was heavily laden with food and supplies from her last trip to the market where Tarnn had given her a helping hand. What would he think if he knew that most of this was not for her?

 

She shook the thought away when she came to the door. It was a small apartment on the top level of Rata Sum, in the shadows of the colleges. It was meant to house freshly graduated students as they took their first steps into the real world. So it was small and, more importantly, cheap.

 

Sanna unlocked the door with the keys and stepped into the kitchen. “Hello?” She called out so not to alarm those inside.

 

“Madam Sanna, we were expecting you.” A short asura said as she bowed. She was wearing all white with a cap that had a polished seal that identified her as being from one of the hospital krewes.

 

“Thank you Mippi.” Sanna said as she took off her pack and set it on the table. She smiled as she saw Mippi immediately start to unpack it. The poor girl was not nearly as bright as was expected of asura, but smart enough to get her into her current krewe. And had a large enough heart. Sanna was sure that Mippi had been teased and made fun of all her life for not being as bright, she had gotten far in life. Mippi might not have been a genius but she was intelligent in her field and honestly Sanna was glad for it. Geniuses seemed to only think of themselves. “I will be returning after I close up shop. I'll cook dinner and stay the night, you can take the time off.”

 

“Thank you madam.” Mippi said as she put things away. “It's been a good day, I'm sure he'll be happy to see you.”

 

Sanna nodded and left the girl to her work. Past the kitchen was what was supposed to be a work area. The two side walls had attached desks running the length of them and there was a drain in the middle of the floor. But other than a small stack of books and a bit of clockwork pieces, hardly more than a toy and clearly belonging to Mippi, the room was bare. The end closer to the kitchen branched off to the bedrooms and bathing room. But it was the far end of the work room that Sanna headed.

 

The work room spilled out into a large common room. Like the rest of the apartment it was meant to hold multiple roommates. But there was only one person there, sitting in an over stuffed chair and covered in blankets. An old man, feeble and weak.

 

It hurt every time she came here and saw this. But she did it anyways. “Hi daddy.” She said as she knelt next to him. She took one of his hands in hers. It used to be strong. She remembered how easily those hands of his could lift her as a child, could work a wrench, how they were so full of life. Now they were thin and wrinkled with hardly any strength left to them at all.

 

He turned to look at her. For a heart shattering moment his eyes showed no recognition. But then he broke out in a smile. “Sanna my dear. Have your classes let out already?”

 

Sanna tried to smile. “Daddy, I'm done with college. You were there for my graduation, you were so proud of me.”

 

He looked confused but nodded anyways. “Right, of course.” Another train of thought came over him. “Are you going to stay long?”

 

“Just for my lunch hour. I'll make you something and we can eat together. How about that? Then I'll be back here later tonight.”

 

He nodded. “Make sure you tell your mother you're staying.”

 

Sanna could have sworn her heart stopped. “Daddy, mom's been...she's...” She couldn't say it. Not again. She could not bring herself to remind him again. “Are these warm enough?” She started to fuss over his blankets. It might seem strange to have so many considering the jungle, but the shadows of the colleges caused quite a dip in temperature. “I could get you a nice new one for Wintersday.”

 

He tried to swat her away. “Oh stop. You and Mippi fuss over me like I'm an old man. I need to get some work done in the lab, I don't trust your brother Wess in there.”

 

Two more strikes. “Daddy, we sold the lab a long time ago.” She did not bring up Wess. Like her mother, it was not a subject she wanted to talk about.

 

He look startled and tried to get up. “What? Why would you do a thing like that!?”

 

Sanna made a soothing noise and put a hand on his arm, keeping him from getting up and off balancing himself. “We sold it, to pay the hospital and this place.” The money from the lab, though painful to sell, had gone quite far. If only it had gone a bit further.

 

He sat back with a huff and crossed his arms. “Your cousin Jyrra doesn't upset me this much.”

 

That stung. But Sanna had to hold her tongue. “I'm going to see how Mippi is doing.” She stood up and kissed his forehead. She couldn't be mad at him, but she could still be hurt.

 

She rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed when she walked into the workroom.

 

“Madam?” Mippi came up to her. “I meant to give this to you sooner.” She held out a slip of paper.

 

Sanna felt panicked at first until she looked at it closer. “What is this?” But she already knew.

 

“It's a receipt. I know that it's hard for you sometimes, but the hospital does appreciate you paying his medical bills on time.”

 

Sanna stared at the receipt, dumbfounded. It was for the exact amount that was listed on the bill that was still on her kitchen table. “But how...”

 

A familiar voice cleared it's throat. “That would be me.”

 

Sanna turned to see a sheepish looking Jyrra. She had been all but certain that her cousin was already back in Lion's Arch or where ever she came from after their little conversation last night.

 

“Look, before you say anything,” Jyrra cut in before Sanna could speak. “I know what you said. I know you didn't want my money. But this isn't about what you want. It's about what my favorite uncle needs. And you might not believe it, but I wasn't lying when I said I do legitimate work too. I dipped into that well for this. I don't want you to feel guilty about that, I know how you get.”

 

Sanna looked back at the receipt. All paid for in full. She had nothing to worry about, at least not right now. She would not have to sell any of her possessions to pay this off. She felt a great weight lift off her shoulders. “Thank you.” She said meekly.

 

Jyrra nodded and looked back over her shoulder to her uncle. Mippi was currently talking to him to allow the two girls some privacy. “I talked with him a little bit. Told him about some of the cities I saw. The good bits at least.”

 

That would explain his comment earlier. “You know he won't remember most of it.”

 

Jyrra shrugged. “No, but it made him happy for the moment, that's what counts.” She sighed heavily. “Look, I'm sorry. I came back expecting everything to be the same as it was when I left. I should have known that you had a lot to deal with and I'm sorry for not keeping in touch. I guess I told myself that after helping you hire Mippi as a live-in-aid, who by the way would not let me in until I reminded her of that fact, that everything would be fine, that _you_ would be fine. I should have known that this was hard on you in other ways too.” She was clearly uncomfortable with and unused to make apologies. “I want stick around and help you out. You were always like a sister to me and you shouldn't have to deal with this alone.”

 

Sanna felt her eyes well up, but she did not try to stop them. She threw her arms around Jyrra, just like when they were kids, and started sobbing. “The doctors said he won't get better, this will kill him.” The tears came freely as all the stress came out. “But it will be slow about. He will just keep forgetting, everything he's ever done, everything he's ever learned. Eventually he'll forget about mom and Wess completely. He'll forget about _me_!”

 

Jyrra stroked her her hair and rocked her gently. “It will be okay, they will find a cure.”

 

Sanna shook her head against her cousin's shoulder as she continued to cry. “No they won't! They've been trying, all the best medical krewes have tried. There is nothing! There is no cure. Daddy even tried but he gave up.” A fresh sob racked her body. “He can't work, not even tinker. If he can't work and can't remember can he even be called an asura anymore?”

 

Jyrra pushed her back to look at her face. “Hey, no matter what happens, he's still an asura, he's still your father.” She brushed some tears from her face. She could read every tension in those violet eyes. “I know you are doing your best, but you are killing yourself.” _'And it's partially my fault.'_ She thought to herself.

 

Sanna didn't deny it. This whole ordeal has been so stressful emotionally, mentally, physically, and financially. “I can't just _leave_ him. He's all I have left.”

 

“I know, I know. But I'm here now. I'm not in the habit of repeating past mistakes. And I want you to do something for yourself, otherwise the stress will make you no good to anybody. Maybe have some of that fun I mentioned before.”

 

Sanna normally would not even have considered the idea. But if Jyrra was going to help her out then maybe she could find the time. Tarnn came to her mind and she remembered him helping her in the market. "I guess I might have a friend or two I could see.”

 

“See! You were always the social type. Spend some time with friends and you will feel like your old self again.”

 

Sanna chuckled despite the tears drying on her face. “I dunno about that part.” It was not like her troubles were completely gone, far from it, but she was allowed a small reprieve. Doing something other than shop work would be nice. It would be at least be something new to talk to her father about.

 

“Uh, Madam Sanna?” Mippi shuffled at the edge of the workroom, uneasy about interrupting. “Your father wants to know if you have lunch ready yet.”

 

Sanna wiped her eyes. “Tell him just about, you can get him ready to come to the kitchen.” She said. She turned to Jyrra once Mippi left. “Why don't you stay for lunch, I can whip up something real fast. If you are going to stick around you might as well start now.”

 

Jyrra nodded. “That sounds like a good idea.”

  
  



End file.
